Our Heritage
The story of Noritake is a story about two brothers, one village, and a century of beautiful things made with care.
It Begins in New York, 1876
It might seem an unlikely place to start a Japanese porcelain dynasty, a small import business on the streets of New York City. But that is exactly where the Noritake story begins.
In 1876, Ichizaemon Morimura sent his brother Toyo to New York to open Morimura Brothers, a trading company importing Japanese chinaware, paper lanterns, curios and gift items. The goal was simple: create a bridge between Japanese craftsmanship and the Western appetite for beautiful objects. It worked.
The business flourished, and the brothers began to dream bigger. Rather than simply importing what already existed, they would build something new - a factory capable of producing fine Western-style dinnerware to the highest possible standard.
The Village of Noritake, 1904
In 1904, the forerunner of the Noritake Company was established in the small village of Noritake, just outside Nagoya, on the island of Honshu. The factory had one purpose: to make porcelain dinnerware for export that could rival anything produced in Europe.
It took a decade of trials, refinements, and relentless pursuit of perfection. Not until 1914 did the first pieces of truly fine export porcelain leave the factory - hand-painted,
gold-detailed, and breathtaking. That first pattern, known as Sedan, set the tone for everything that would follow.
They did not want to make good china. They wanted to make the finest china in the world.
The Golden Age of Noritake, 1914–1940
The decades that followed were a period of extraordinary artistry. The earliest Noritake pieces were hand-painted by skilled artists, often with lavish applications of gold and intricate floral or landscape scenes. These pieces - particularly those from the Nippon Era before 1921 - are among the most sought-after by collectors today.
By the early 1920s, Noritake had introduced assembly-line techniques that made high-quality dinnerware available at a price that families, not just the wealthy, could afford. The Art Deco years of the late 1920s and 1930s brought geometric patterns, bold colour, and a modernist elegance that translated Noritake's artistry into something fresh and contemporary.
The company grew quickly, expanding its range, its markets, and its reputation. By this time, Noritake was not simply a brand - it was a standard.
Post-War Expansion
The Second World War brought production almost to a halt. But Noritake endured. In the years following the Allied occupation of Japan - during which all pieces were required to be marked 'Made in Occupied Japan' - the company rebuilt with remarkable speed and ambition.
Post-war optimism, growing middle-class prosperity, and an international hunger for quality tableware created the conditions for Noritake to grow faster than ever before. Subsidiaries, factories, and affiliates were established around the world. The brand reached customers in more than one hundred countries.
Noritake Australia, 1958
In 1958, Noritake Australia was established and Australians took to the brand immediately. The quality was undeniable. The price was fair. And the designs felt both refined and welcoming at home on a formal dining table as easily as a kitchen bench.
Through the 1960s and 1970s, Noritake became a household name across the country. It was the wedding gift. The one you kept. The one that came out for Christmas, for Easter, for the dinner parties that felt worth making an effort for.
That place in Australian homes and hearts has never faded.
The Noritake of Today
Today, Noritake is one of the world's largest tableware manufacturers - with production facilities across Japan and Sri Lanka. Our products are found in hotels, restaurants, and airlines across the globe, as well as in the homes of people who simply appreciate beautiful things made well.
More than 120 years after that first factory opened in a small Japanese village, the company's founding belief remains unchanged: that the table deserves beauty, and that beauty should last.
The Noritake Museum in Nagoya housed within the original factory grounds and open to the public is a testament to that belief. Here, thousands of pieces spanning more than a century of production are preserved and celebrated. The garden that surrounds it has become one of Nagoya's most beloved public spaces.
We invite you to be part of that continuing story.